The Ipatijiv chronicle
reported that the land of dulibiv-volynyak was a part of the Kyiv Rus. Grand Duke Volodymyr established the city
not far from the site of ancient
settlement Velyn and named it as Volodymyr. The “Story of past years”
mentioned that in 988 Duke Volodymyr handed over this city to his son
Vsevolod in specific ownership.
In 1704 Hetman Ivan Mazepa passed by Volyn with his army, in 1768
this region had been enveloped in the element of hajdamaks revolt, named
Kolijivshchyna.
In the years of the World War
I the front line between the Russian army from one side and the Austrian and German army from the other ran through
Volyn several times. In June, 1916 the Russian army under the command of
General Brusylov broke through the front, occupied Lutsk and forced the
Austian-German troops back up to the line of the Stokhid river. More than
a year the front stood firm in this line afterwards a number of
settlements had been destroyed.
Revolution wave at the beginning of 1917 in Russia, defeat of autocracy stimulated the Ukrainian Central Council establishment (March) at the
head of M. Hrushevsky. The Ukrainian State system revived with the
establishment of the UNR. After Bolsheviks grabbed power in Russia they
initiated their attack on Ukraine.The 126-th division under the direction of
ensign O.Dmytriyev proclaimed the soviet power in Volyn influenced to a
considerable degree by Bolsheviks. In 1918 Volyn was occupied by the
German troops. On December, 1918 military forces of Directory occupied
Lutsk and other cities. Since May, 1919 the Poles occupied Volyn, forced
on July 1920 by the Red Army men background.
On September, 1920 the district got under Polish occupation almost
for 20 years long ratified by the Riga’s agreement from 1921. The Volyn
province was established with a center in Lutsk. The Ukrainian language
was forbidden in the state institutions, schools. The land was dispensed
among Polish colonists. A number of strikes, disputes of the population
had been oppressed.
Living standard of the western population of Ukraine was extremely
low. Authorities tried to be in power at any coast, intensifying
repressions. There were many legal procedures on members of the most
influential political parties, struggling against the occupation regime
of that time, namely, OUN and CPWU.
Subsequently to the foul act of Molotov-Ribbentrop the World War II
had been practically launched, the spheres of influence had been divided.
On September 1, 1939 Hitlerites started their occupation in Poland. On
September 18, 1939 the formations of the Red Army entered Lutsk, in this
way began the period of the Soviet power establishment. On December 4,
1939, Volynska oblast’ was founded. The violent collectivization and
political terror initiated as a result of such actions as the Ukrainian
language introduction, educational system development, and health
protection.
On June 22, 1941 Volyn, one of the first, suffered perfidious intrusion of
Hitlerite Germany. The names of frontier guards Ukrainian Ivan Parkhomenko,
Byelorussia Petr Starovojtov, Russian Vasyl Petrov, lost in the first
days of the War, repulsing the enemy’s attack, had been perpetuated in the names of
Volyn villages with time.
Under the pressure of superior fascist forces a part of the deployed
on Volyn fifth army fell back. On July 8, 1941 the Hitlerites completely
occupiedthe region.
The historical National Referendum on December 1, 1991 by an absolute
majority –92% - confirmed their aspiration for liberty and freedom.
Nowadays Volyn is a constituent part of Independent Ukraine.
Political division
Administratively the oblast’ is divided into 16 regions, 4 regions in
the towns, 7 districts in the towns, 22 urban villages. There are 1086 settlements
in the region in all. A distance from Lutsk to Kiev is 398 km.
Lutsk is a regional center, historical and cultural center of Ukraine
with the population more than 216 thousand people.
Authority
Leadership of Volyn regional
state administration: the Head, the first deputy of the Head of the
regional state administration and five deputies of the Head.
Within the limits of budget provisions, prescribed for the support of
corresponding local state administrations, their heads determine the
structure of local state administrations.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approves enumeration of offices,
departments and other structural subdivisions of local state
administrations as well as typical provisions on them.
Borders
On the west Volyn oblast’ borders upon the Republic of Poland
(frontier length is 135 km), on the north – upon the Republic of Byelorussia
(195 km), on the south and the east – upon the L’viv and Rivne regions of
Ukraine.
Population
The population of Volyn oblast’ is 1054 thousand people (2,1% of
people in Ukraine). Among Volynyan there are 94,3% of the Ukrainians,
4,4% of the Russians, the rest are the Poles, the Czechs, the Slovaks, the
Germans, the Jews, other nations. In the cities reside 558,3 thousand
people, in the villages – 516,9 thousand people.
Economic potential
In the structure of the industrial complex it covers more than 10
important spheres of current industry. 158 industry enterprises of the
region produce bearings, instruments, methods of automation, special
technological equipment, motor-cars, machines for cattle breeding and
feed production, synthetic leather, plastic materials, polyethlene film,
soft covering materials, linoleum, cardboard, reinforced concrete,
saw-timbers, bricks, furniture, shoes, silks, garments, sugar, meat,
butter, dairy production, cooked meats, canned goods, flour,
confectioneries, bakery foods.
Agriculture of the region specializes in the production of potatoes, sugar beets,
cereals, meat and milk. Agriculture manufacturers support relations with
the statesof CIS, Eastern and Western Europe,
exporting meat, sugar, dried milk, casein, butter, and other products of
the agrarian sphere. In the Volyn research production selection center
“Zorya” (Kovelsky region) Volyn meat breed is raised. A new sort of
winter wheat “Pallada” with potential crop capacity 55-60 quintals on
hectare is produced.
Production infrastructure of the region represents various kinds of
transport, communication, objects of engineering and energy supply, track
facilities. Relations of the region have dynamicallydeveloped with boundary regions of
the Republic of Byelorussia and the Republic of Poland.
Culture and traditions
In Volyn oblast’ there are 12 communal museums in the system of
culture (Volyn museum of local lore, Volyn museum of Art, Volyn icons –
in the city of Lutsk, Literary memorial museum of Lesya Ukrajinka in
Kolodyazhny village of Kovelsky region, Museum of Partisan Glory in Lobna
village of Lyubeshivsky and tract Lopaten’ of Kiverzivsky regions,
Historical Volodymyr-Volynsky, Kovelsky and Kortelisky museums,
Manevytsky and Lyubomlsky museums of local lore, Rokynivsky museum of
Volyn agriculture history) and 49 museum institutions at social basis,
including 8 “national” of them: historical museums - Torchynsky,
Horokhivsky, Berestechkivsky, Olyzky, Ivanychivsky, museums of local lore
– Kamin’ Kashyrsky, Rozhyshchynsky, Starovyzhivsky. The museums preserve
about 200 thousand memorials of material and spiritual culture of the
region.
Nature and ecology
Fascinating nature of Volyn comprises 220 lakes. The largest of them
are – Svityaz’, Pulemenetske, Luky. About 130 rivers run in this region
with general extension of more than 3 thousand km. This ancient land has
a rich flora and fauna. One third of the territory is covered with
picturesque coniferous and mixed forests inhabited with roe deer, deer,
wild boars, elks and other animals.
On Polissya, with its primeval nature, the National Shatsky Nature Park
was created with the square of 32 thousand hectares, which in the future
is supposed to increse to 75 thousand. Its protection and development are
of the international importance, it also concerns the basins of the
rivers Stokhid and Prypyat’ with unique floated birds.
Lakes, rivers, woods, curative mud, mineral
waters, hunting, fishing created all necessary conditions for industry,
tourism, full-fledged rest and health development of the population.
